Toilet article



June 12, 1956 R. J. LINDGREN 9,

TOILET ARTICLE Filed Feb. 1, 1952 [WI/V70]? for J Mme/em %Mm/Mw- A/TURNE'YS United States Patent Ofice TOILET ARTICLE Roy J. Lindgren, Marshall, Minn. Application February 1, 1952, Serial No. 269,455

1 Claim. (Cl. Lil-76.2)

This invention relates to a toilet article and more particularly to a combination comb and file for grooming the hair and fingernails.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide for a simple and convenient comb device which comprises as an essential element thereof, a hollow body which serves as a sheath for a nail file, the hollow body having cooperating openings for the entrance of the users fingers to shift the position of the file while in the sheath.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for a combined comb and nail file in which the file point is normally protected so as not to accidentally tear or rupture articles such as clothing nor to injure the persons who carries the device with him, but which may be projected for a short distance only no greater than necessary for use at the tip while still being useable as a file, the nail file being resiliently and frictionally retained in its normal or in its projected relative position with respect to the comb.

It is a still further object to provide for opening means in the body of a comb in cooperation with a sheath for a nail file so that the file may be manipulated to project from a restricted opening for a short and guarded distance only at the point thereof, but retracted so as to sheath all portions except filing areas thereof, or to be completely removed from the end of the comb opposite the restricted opening for use independently of the comb.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my combined comb and nail file with the outline of the file in projected position and shown partially in dotted line configuration;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of one form of my nail file;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with a portion broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged segment of one end of another form of the comb body with a part of the comb cut away in vertical section to show the disposition of the file point; and

Fig. 6 is another form of nail file for combinative use with my comb body in which the bent portion is formed only at the blunt and smooth end of the file.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Fig. 1 the numeral 10 indicates generally a comb having teeth 9 disposed in the usual manner from the back thereof, which in my particular invention comprises a hollow body 11. The hollow body 11 comprises an internally slotted structure such that a longitudinal sheath 12 which is formed thereby extends longitudinally within the back or body of the comb for the full length thereof and is provided at one end with an unrestricted opening 13 and at the other end with a narrowing portion which terminates in a restricted opening 14. Transversely disposed through the body of the comb is an opening 15 which cooperates with the internal slot of the longitudinal sheath 12 to form a means for inserting the fingers of the user for a purpose to be described later. The disposition of the transversely disposed opening 15 is such that the body of the comb is considerably weaker at the juncture of the sheath and transverse opening because a relatively thin bridge portion 16 is created thereby. For proper appearance and use of the toilet article I prefer to arrange the sheath 12 in a relation with the transverse opening 15 in such a manner that the sheath is of slightly greater width and forms a groove 17 at the inner portion of the bridge 16 and an oppositely disposed groove 19 in the lower portion 18 of the body of the comb. In order to strengthen the comb body at the juncture of the sheath and transverse opening I prefer to supply reinforcing means such as ribs 20 which will lend structural strength to the weakened portion.

Disposed within the hollow body in the sheath 12 is a nail file indicated generally at 21. The nail file may be shiftably retained within the sheath by a frictional fit with the sides thereof and further may be bent to a slight degree as is indicated in Fig. 3 so as to positively cause a frictional engagement between the file and the walls of the sheath. The file 21 terminates in a tapering point 22 in the usual manner and likewise has a filing area 23 at the usual intermediate position on an ordinary file and a smooth area 24 disposed at the end of the file 21 opposite the pointed end 22. The entire file has a length not greater than the over-all length of the comb body so as to be fully retainable within the body when so desired. The smooth end of the nail file 21 is preferably formed with a blunt or rounded end 26 in the usual manner. Where it is desired to protect the inner walls of the sheath portion against wear and abrasion by the shifting movement of the file in contact with the filing area 23, I may provide a warped or bent portion 27 at the smooth area 24 and keep the remainder of the file including the filing area 23 in a straight and central relation thereto. The frictional spring retention of the warped portions 27 will thus cause pressing contact only between smooth areas of the nail file and the inner walls of sheath 12. This form of file is shown in Fig. 6.

In the use of my device, the comb teeth may be employed in the usual manner without any attention to the function of the remainder of the article. When, however, it is desired to use the toilet article for grooming of the fingernails I may use either side of the nail file at the filing area 23 while the file 21 is functionally retained fully within the sheath 12. If, in adi-dtion to the filing use, I wish to employ the point 22 of the nail file for cleaning fingernails I may grasp the central portion of the file 21 at the filing area 23 through the cooperative transverse opening 15 and shift the point 22 of the file outwardly through the restricted opening 14. The opening 14 is of such dimension with relation to the file point 22 as not to allow the point to extend farther than necessary, thus minimizing or eliminating accidents which may otherwise be caused by the point of a nail file while being carried in the clothing of a person or handled in a normal manner. After using the point 22 as above noted the file may be shifted back to its fully sheathed position or may be extended outwardly from the unrestricted opening 13 at the opposite end of the comb body so that the end 26 will project sufficiently therefrom to be grasped by the user for fully removing the file 21 from its sheath in the hollow bodied comb.

Fig. 5 shows another form of my hollow comb body with a slightly different arrangement in the disposition of the rstricted opening 14 with relation to the end of the comb body 11. Although the limited projection of the Patented June 12, 1956 point 22 as shown in Fig; 1 provides a safety measure foe most practical purposes, the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 further adds to the safety feature so as to substantially eliminate all chance for the file point 22 to do damagetu the clothing or person of the user, even when in projected position. In this form I have provided a recussed portion 28* at the restricted opening 14 such that the-point 22 of thenail file 21', even when fully projected therefrom will not extend beyond thelimits of the body portion Hi In other words, the end of the comb body 1 aetsas a general guard against the accidental puncturingor' penetration of the clothing or body of the user. It may be seen that the operational function of the point 22 is not impaired by the recessed arrangement when used for for which it is intended, namely toclean' tltefingernail's.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made" in the form, details, arrangement and propertionsof the parts without departing from the scope ot my inventi'on.

What'- I claim is:

A hollow bodiedcomb having an internal sheath adapted to completely encompass a nail file having a pointed forward end anda filing area intermediate its ends, the

body of said comb having an outer recessed area at one end thereof, and a restricted opening in the recessed area communicating with said sheath to permitshort pro jcction of the pointed forward end, said sheath terminating in a substantially unrestricted opening at the other end of the comb body, said body having formed medially of the ends thereof a transverse slotted opening communicating with said sheath, whereby said nail file will be resiliently and frictionally retainable completely within said sheath and will be shiftable forwardly to project to a limited degree and shielded within the recessed area, its forward point and retractable to bring sa'id file fully within said sheath by manual contact through said transverse opening.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,700,076 Riggsbee Jan. 22, 1929 2,284,168 Rickenbacher May 26,- 1942 2,408,888 Shoop Oct. 8, 1946 2,511,278 Lyle June 13, 1950 2,555,360 Murphy June 5, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 903,478 France Oct. 5, 1945 

